A Travel & Culture Blog For People Who Hate Tourists

Month: November 2016

Even if you loathe the term, the culture or the very idea of hipsters, you should watch this program from the BBC. Hosted by management consultant, TV personality and stoggy old British guy straight from central casting Peter York, the Hipster Handbook explores what it means to be a hipster, how they came to be and it’s affect on consumer culture.

He focuses on the once dodgy neighborhoods of Shortditch, Bethnal Green and Hackney in east London. I was hanging in those areas before it was cool, which in itself a hipster idea.

York illustrates the global meaning of hipster culture — artists and entrepreneurs go to run down area for cheap rent, area becomes cool, independent businesses open up, rents rise, gentrification grows, locals get priced out and the backlash begins. This happens in every major city in the world.

Give the show a full watch below because it will point out decent places to visit for shopping, relaxing, grooming, drinking and eating. Here are a few of the places shown in the video that I’ve frequented:

— The Cereal Killer Cafe — this cereal-themed eatery bore the brunt of the backlash against gentrification. The locals armed with paint, pitchforks and torches protested against the cafe located on Brick Lane because … umm … because successful business shouldn’t exist? If you are there on a day without a riot outside, peruse the international selection of fine breakfast cereal paired with your choice of milk.

— The Electric Cinema — this multi-function event spaces shows movies, has a full-cafe, bar and barber shop. I like the cinema because of the comfy recliners which makes it feel like a living room.

— Blitz — The main reason I would head straight to Shoreditch when I was in town was for Rough Trade Records, the £1 bagel shop and the vintage clothing stores. While Beyond Retro is my go-to shop in the area, Blitz has a better curated collection, which leads to insane prices on ironic t-shirts (£28).

— Murdock — Hipster men must have beards. I couldn’t tell where York visited to see some manscapping being performed, but the place I went to once set me back £90 for a shave, haircut and a glass of scotch. Yes, these were the days where I didn’t care about expenses. Anyway, it was damn a fine treatment I got from one of the barbers who could have doubled as a member of Mumford & Sons.

— Redchurch Brewery — As York points out, it seems that most of the craft movement in London takes place under railway arches. Such is the case for the taproom of Redchurch Brewery on Bethnal Green Road. With the beer named after London neighborhoods and tube stations, the head brewer cut his teeth at other well-known local craft breweries, The Kernal and Beavertown.

— Look Mum No Hands! — The finishing touch to the hipster lifestyle is a vintage-looking fixed gear bicycle. Combine that with the quest for a great cup of coffee and that will take you this bike shop and coffee cafe.

I saw this Gizmodo and said to myself, “Yeah, this is something Japan would do.”

The mayor and residents of Beppu in southwest Japan created a promotional video for their idea of a spa amusement park. The town is known as a spa destination with their wealth of natural springs.

Once the video gained 1 million views, the mayor vowed to make the amusement park a reality. As you can see in the photo he tweeted out, he’s pretty excited about it. I wish I excited about anything in life as these people are.

The promotional video shows what a spa theme park would look like. It’s the perfect place to be nude in public and be on a kiddie roller coaster. Although, that milky, cloud water is suspect. I would hope sanitation would be a priority in this spa wonderland.

Then there’s the hot tub on a cat funicular seems like the most Japanese thing ever. It’s how I would like to leave this earth.

Last week, one of our greatest living architects received the Presidential Medal of Freedom. The 87-year old, Canadian-born Frank Gehry stood alongside such luminaries as Bill & Melinda Gates, Tom Hanks, Bruce Springsteen, Michael Jordan, Ellen DeGeneres, Robert De Niro, Robert Redford, Maya Lin, Diana Ross, Lorne Michaels, Vin Scully and Cicley Tyson in receiving the honor from President Obama.

With most of the honorees, you can dial up their work on your computer to see their movies, TV shows and music. For Gehry, it’s best to see his work in person.

The most accessible destination to see his work is in his hometown of Toronto at the Art Gallery of Ontario. It’s a place where architecture is the art. The baroque staircase you see in the atrium gives the visitor the experience of being a part of the structure. While being functional, it connects the old design from the 1970s to the present. Like a lot of Gehry’s work, it’s not symmetrical. As you walk up or down it, the staircase widens and narrows.

In the United States, one of most visited designs is the Walt Disney Concert Hall in downtown Los Angeles. Construction took twelve years and $274 million for one of Gehry’s signature works.

The structure that stands out the most is the affectionately titled Fred and Ginger building in Prague. In a town that is celebrated for it’s old world charm, the original building was one of the few in the city that was bombed in World War II. You can blame the U.S. forces on that one.

Completely in 1996, the “Dancing Building” serves as the office for Dutch insurance company Nationale-Nederlanden and was once the residence of Czech president Václav Havel. Since it’s an office, it’s not open to the public, but it’s easily viewed along the Vltava River on the Rašín Embankment.

No trip to Bilbao, Spain is complete without a visit to the Guggenheim. It’s Gehry’s masterwork that transformed a city from an industrial port to an art, design and culture destination. “Some people may say my curved panels look like sails. Well, I am a sailor, so I guess I probably do use that metaphor in my work – though not consciously,” said of his work.

Back in America, Gehry’s wave and steel design contributed to the unique experience that is Seattle’s Museum of Pop Culture. When I visited in 2014 it was called the Experience Music Project. It’s Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen tribute to creativity in rock music that evolved into an all-encompassing, non-conformist museum to popular culture.

As for the future, Gehry has submitted designs for the Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial in Washington, D.C. If its ever complete, that’s another story. As this Washington Postheadline attests to — The proposed Eisenhower memorial is a monstrosity. Speaking of monstrosity, the 7 Spruce Street apartment complex in downtown New York is pretty hideous and serves the 1%-ers who live there.

Hey, big spender! It’s time to think about that beloved traveler in your life. They might be thinking of never coming back to the U.S. after a game show host becomes President.

These gifts will be practical to the intrepid traveler or will inspire their wanderlust. Even better, they are below $100. I’ve seen other gift guide and I say to myself, “Of course, I have $595 for leather gloves as a gift.”

Passport Wallet — I categorize this as a necessity as a frequent and organized traveler. You’ll be
amazed how many people put their passport in their pocket. You need something with weight and bulk that can hold all your other documents, cards and currency. I keep my Global Entry, frequent flyer cards, transit cards, extra credit card and foreigner currency in mine. It fits right into my inside blazer pocket, making it pickpocket proof, so I always know its on my person.

I like these passport wallets from Fossil. They are classic looking, made of leather and more than anything, it’s practical.

Cashmere Sweater — Travel pillows are the single worse travel accessory ever invented. They are painfully unpackable, stupid looking, uncomfortable and more trouble then they are worth.

A cashmere sweater serves two purposes:

— You can wear it, duh! They don’t winkle when you fold and pack it. Since layering is the key to picking your wardrobe when traveling, cashmere sweaters are thin and light. More than anything, they feel great to wear, which leads me to…

— They make excellent travel pillows for your neck. Just roll it like towel and you got yourself some neck support while being relaxed by its gentle touch.

Uniqlo makes the most reasonably priced sweater that are available in a wide assortment of colors and style.. I personally have a gray one — easy to match and coordinate. They are constantly on sale.

Paper Notebook — Despite the fact that I travel with my laptop and smartphone, I still carry a small notebook to jot down ideas, sketch out directions or tear off to give my address/numbers to new found friends. It’s one of those “you never know” items that won’t be bothersome to have in your carry-on or traveling bag.

The Japanese brand MUJI is slowly expanding in America with 12 B+M stores in New York, New Jersey and California. They’ve expanded their online store to the U.S. I first discovered it in London during my first visit 12 years ago. In China and Japan, they’re just as ubiquitous as IKEA.

They are known for minimalist home goods and stationary. Their black notebook is a perfect gift or stocking stuffer. Pair it with a great pen and your recipient will be writing away.

Vintage Luggage Tags — One of the stupidest items sold in travel sections of department stores are color straps for luggage to help you pick out your luggage from others. Some people will put masking tape Xs on them which is pretty lame.

You can never have too many luggage tags on your case. Keep one on the top handle, so it’s not to confuse with the tag the airlines will put on it. The rest you can load up the side handle.

Travel Perfume Atomizer — For gals and dudes, these capsules made by Travalo can make sure you are smelling smart on the go. You just take the spray cap off your favorite perfume or cologne, place the bottom of this atomizer on top of the bottle’s nozzle, pump to fill up the atomizer and you are good to go. It saves you from getting travel sizes of scents, making a mess from filling up a smaller plastic bottle or bringing the whole bottle.

New York Times 36 Hours Travel Guides — While TripAdvisor, Yelp and Foursquare are invaluable travel sites when you’re on the go, I like to trust my research from sources like Time Out and the New York Times. The 36 Hours series is reprinted and updated by Taschen covers the Americas, the Caribbean and Europe. All major cities are covered along with mid-size towns and excursions. The mega $125 complete set covers every continent.

Ignore the 36-hour time restraint and just rely on their descriptions of hip eateries, indie shops, boutique hotels, art galleries and bars that the locals hang out.

Charitable Donations — If your friend or loved one just came back from a far off land, considering donating to a cause focused on bringing relief. Did they come back from safari in Africa? Donate to Water.org, which provides fresh water solutions to impoverished areas of the world.

How about the nature lover who went hiking through the mountains and forest? The National Audubon Society does great things in preserving birds and ecosystems in the United States so that future generations can enjoy.

A quick Google search of a country and their best charities will reveal some worthwhile causes that will let your travel friend leave a lasting impression from their visit.

In travel, sometimes timing is everything. This is the case in my quest to find the best craft beer bar in Toronto. My research turned up the name Bar Volo several times, thus I had to visit.

As it turns out, they were closing up shop for good at the location downtown. The bar’s landlords decided to sell after 28 years to make room for condos. It’s a common refrain. Once crappy area gets revitalized with hip restaurants and eateries. They get priced out to make room for upscale condos. Residents complain, but then move on.

Since it was its last days, all the kegs had to be kicked. As a result, everything was half off. I was up for the task in helping them liquidate their inventory.

As you see on their tap list, everything was craft and Canadian. Pretty much everything listed I had never heard of, which made deciding hard. The bartenders knew their stuff, and geared me towards the rare and respected breweries from outside of the city.

Here’s what I had:

Gaslight Helles by Muddy York Brewing Co.

No Chance with Miranda Saison by Great Lakes Brewery

Peach, Don’t Kill My Vibe (Sour Weiss) by Stone City Ales

Dulcis Succubus (Sour/Wild Ale) by Brassin Special Le Trou du Diable

It’s a shame the bar had to go, but I thought it was a comfortable space — great for large groups outside and couples inside. Inside was dark and cozy and outside was a good spot to people watch along Church and Yonge St. I met a few blokes where we cracked wise about Canadians and Americas.

Do not fret, Bar Volo has a sister location in Little Italy called Birreria Volo that serves Italian small plates and Canadian beer that will tide you over. Bar Volo’s new space will actually be a mansion that’s one block away with an opening TBA.

Continuing my tour of the craft beer spots in Toronto, if you want to go to Left Field Brewery, you’ll have to head east.

Left Field is not easily accessible from downtown being that’s a 20 minute ride into the residential Greenwood neighborhood. I opted to take the 506 trolley to see the neighborhood transform. Along the way, I had an exciting moment when one of the stops was named Degrassi. WOW! Technically, there is no Degrassi Junior High, but the school used in the show is Vincent Massey Public School in Etobicoke.

For non-North American visitors, Degrassi Junior High was a teen drama show that aired on Canadian and American public television in the afternoon in the 80s. Rapper Drake acted on a Degrassi remake.

In any event, Left Field is situated on a small side street of warehouses. There neighbor is Pilot Coffee Roasters, which I’m sure comes in handy for collaboration brews.

The tap room offers their line-up of baseball-inspired beer and merchandise. You can purchase their one-off specialty release bottles or six packs of their most-popular beer, Eephus Oatmeal Brown Ale. Eephus is a rare baseball pitch style.

Here’s what I had:

Sunlight Park Saison

Maris* Pale Ale (the * in honor of his 61 home runs in one season)

Grandstand Wheat Pale Ale

Eephus Oatmeal Brown Ale

Wrigley Oat Pale Ale

Laser Show Double IPA

The brewery that was closest to my AirBnB was Granite in the Davisville neighborhood. Situated along a row of stores on the corner of Mt. Pleasant and Eglington, I headed there after my debacle over at the CN Tower.

The brewpub has a cozy feel with a library/game room style front room and larger dining space in the back with a view of the tanks. Most of the beers are brewed off-site.

Canadians love their hockey. The cliche is similar to how Brazilians or Argentinians view football — it’s a religion.

Kids are raised on hockey, it’s ingrained in their culture and they revere names like Wayne Gretsky, Bobby Orr and Mario Lemieux. It’s why donut king and hockey legend Tim Horton is so beloved.

The irony being that hockey is not Canada’s nation sport. It’s lacrosse. Credit the nation’s indigenous people for that honor.

In any event, the Hockey Hall of Fame in downtown Toronto is a must for hockey and sports fan in general. For those who are not … ehhhh, you might be a little bored.

As a passive hockey fan, it was an re-introduction to the names that define the sport. You get a sense of the sport’s popularity, pride and history in North America. You can’t help but have that stereotypical Canadian accent in your head as you walk though the museum.

The hall is basically in the basement of a mall, Brookfield Place. The actual hall itself is on street level. This where you see the plaques of all the players, coaches, owners and broadcasters who make up the Hall of Fame. Just this week, Flyers legend Eric Lindros, Sergei Makarov and Rogie Vachon made it onto the wall. In the center of the hall is the greatest trophy in all of sports, the Lord Stanley’s Cup. If it’s there, you can have your photo taken with it free of charge.

Plan out two hours for your visit, three if you’re a hockey fan. There are interactive exhibits where you can play goalie or go on offense, do a radio call of a hockey game and view a sappy 3D movie.